I've tried zoloft and it has a depressing function on sexuality.

I'm already taking levo-thyroxine for low thyroid and I get a shot of testosterone in the butt once per month.

Puffer

My husband takes citalopram. At first it caused issues with sexual function, but it got better. Does cause low sex drive though for him.

All of the SSRI type antidepressants (Zoloft/Paxil/Prozac) have the potential to reduce libido. Typically this can be delayed ejaculation, difficulty maintaining an erection, pain during sex. Welbutrin might be an alternative to ask your doctor about switching to.

I appreciate the responses to my question.

Now I'm wondering if what I need is the opposite of an anti-depressant. I need a stimulant, as though I had ADHD or something. Never diagnosed but yet talked about. One person I know has had ADHD since childhood and that person has taken Seroquel.

It's as though 5 cups of coffee is what gets me going. Does this information suggest anything to anybody?

Puffer

I took everything under the sun, with debilitating with side effects with every turn.

I was at the point where I gave up, I was exhausted, I was done. The negatives outweighed the benefits...

Out of nowhere, came my answer...buspar. (suppose-ed anti anxiety).

All I know is, it works for me, and everybody seems to metabolize stuff a little different...


rock and groove on french horn by romain thorel

island

I can say from both a personal and clinical experience as a nurse that all SSRI meds work surprisingly different to be so similar. While it's taken for granted that sexual dysfunction is a very common side effect from those meds, that's not to say that every SSRI could give you problems. Personally, I went off of Paxil, which somehow managed to suppress a 21 year-olds sexuality completely to Zoloft, which I'm taking now with little to no side effects.

Not every medication is right for some people. You might have better success with Paxil than myself or you may need to try another class of information.

If you have difficulties with flashbacks or anxiety, I'm afraid to say that stimulants could potentially worsen those problems, but again I cannot say for sure. It's certainly something to discuss with your doctor.

I would say that if I was having problems getting around more than 40% of the time when interested in sexual activities, then that might be a big enough problem to warrant contacting your doctor. There's no shame in admitting that problem and it could be a sign that that medication simply is not "therapeutic" for you.

Also, I've found some sex-related changes to be easy enough to overcome. Try introducing some new routines or changing things up a bit seems to help. Some of the patients I've spoken with have recommended the use of "new material" for personal time. Maybe it's time to try out some new supplies and gadgets too.

Here's hoping you find something that works!

Here's a thought;

Testosterone works wonders for anxiety / depression. Dr's are able to prescribe if you are low on testosterone (Get a blood test) and the results are spectacular.

I had slightly lower than average levels, and was dead tired and depressed all the time. Psyche meds were not working, and my Dr. tried out a testosterone shot. Within ours, I felt amazingly better. Took it for about a year, and it changed the course of my life - got me in touch with my body.

D

My story on this is similar to Magellan's. I complained to my doctor about 6 years ago that I was feeling tired all the time. Finally about 3 months ago he ran the necessary blood tests and found that my testosterone and thyroid levels were very low. So I've been taking a pill for the thyroid every morning. Once per month I go in and the nurse administers a testosterone shot to my butt. It really is making me come alive again (not Frankenstein ). One side affect: I haven't felt this sexual since I was a teen ager.

Puffer

After thinking about this I decided it was really necessary to point out some other stuff. What I was just talking about was a physical depression that feels like tiredness. But it's a very different animal than psychological depression. psychological depression goes on in the brain (nervous system). It is actually a decrease in some of the vital chemicals (neurohumors) in the brain (serotonin and epinephrine). When a person gets really depressed like that, they CANNOT pull themself out of it. They need counseling and most likely an anti-depressant. I took zoloft for awhile. Since Zoloft depresses sexual function, it is not good if a person already has low testosterone. I was down to almost zero.

Puffer

Puffer,

You would need to be careful using it, as it has addictive properties, but if you need a stimulant, you could ask about dextroamphetamine, which is basically Adderall.

I had dextro a few years ago, but only for a little bit. It was good, almost *too* good. Buzz buzz buzz. But I didn't get involved with it because the doc I was seeing at the time switched me to a time-release Adderall, which I didn't like at all, so I gave up on the whole thing.

But might be good for you if you're feeling down down down.

Cant